Holly Jolly, Hazy Crazy, Mojo Dojo Holidaze
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here, and by that I mean that the streets are jammed, there are unsupervised children everywhere, and everyone is drunk.
Savannah during the holidays is always marked by a certain chaotic cheer, from the freshly-pickled scent of tourists roaming downtown in flip flops to the gloriously decorated tree on Broughton Street that *almost* eclipses the bare flowerbeds and broken bricks. (Don’t worry, the latest phase of this yearslong capital beautification project ought to start any day now!)
Lest you think I’m subsumed with humbuggery, I truly adore Christmastime in Savannah. (FYI, “humbuggery” doesn’t actually mean “Scrooge-like” but is nevertheless a real word, and possibly the name of an OnlyFans page run by a wildly adventurous elf.)
Our sunny swamp may never serve as a Platonic ideal of a winter wonderland, but our fair city continues to give what devoted reader and dashing scholar Idaho Jones calls “panache Christmas village” vibes. The classic anthem “Jingle Bells” was (probably) written at the Unitarian Universalist Church on Troup Square after all, though James Pierpont surely could not have imagined that his one-horse open sleigh would be replaced with a mobile rave pedaled by shrieking bridesmaids.
Even if the latest bomb cyclone didn’t bring us any snow to shovel, we’ve got yuletide sparkle to rival any at Rockefeller Center. The festive window dressings at Paris Market always slay the season, and the cozy display at the Vintage Vortex in Starland conjures sexy aprés-ski aspirations.
If you’re seeking inner warmth from a fancy cocktail, The Wayward has frothy concoctions and a veritable Polar Express chugging under Santa’s motorcycle, and the magic is real after a few Yule Shoot Your Eye Outs at The Holiday Bar @ The Thompson.
There’s still a few more sundowns to catch the dazzling light display at the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens, and ice skating at the Civic Center glides on through the New Year, just in time for your new health insurance deductible.
If you missed last weekend’s sold out showings of the Savannah Philharmonic’s Holiday Stories hosted by our most venerable violinist Ricardo Ochoa backed up by Laiken Love, Eric Culberson and other local musical luminaries, there’s still plenty of homegrown caroling to be had: Andrew Sovine and Mandy Madson — aka Andy & Mandy — soothe the sharp edges of the season with their charming Hard Candy Christmas Show tour this week, including an added appearance at El Rocko Friday eve. On Monday, the legendary Savannah Jazz All-Stars bring home the riffs at their 41st annual Christmas Day jamfest at Plant Riverside.
Those looking to quietly meditate on the reason for the season can take in the marvelously detailed manger scene at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. However, if I were the church-going type, I’d be more likely to attend Padre Michael Chaney’s Christmas Eve sermon at the Wormhole, where the bar will be open and the love unconditional.
Which brings us to what has always been my favorite part about Christmas in Savannah: No matter how you show up for it, there’s a place to belong — even if you don’t celebrate it at all.
While that still feels true, the last weeks of 2023 have been fraught as current events continue to divide our community and the world. On December 4, the Georgia Assembly sprung a resolution denouncing the terrorism of Hamas during a special December session focused on redistricting. The resolution passed overwhelmingly in the Republican-dominated House, though Chatham County’s three Democratic representatives — Edna Jackson, Anne Allen Westbrook, and Carl Gilliard — left the floor without voting. (Read the resolution here.)
It’s fair to ask why the resolution belonged in the special session in the first place and that legislators ought to have had time to consider it. But many who have supported these elected officials — some for decades — felt that their refusal to vote echoed the apathy and moral relativism recently demonstrated by several college presidents and frightening turn in the cultural tide. The three representatives have since issued a joint statement in the Savannah Tribune; more hard conversations are sure to follow in the new year.
Historically, Savannah has always stood shoulder to shoulder with its storied Jewish community, just as the community has stood with Savannah. But the antisemitism that’s all the rage in the big cities and college campuses is starting to pop up at home like a boil on a pharaoh.
With Chanukah barely in the rearview, Congregation Mickve Israel received a bomb threat on Sunday along with hundreds of other American synagogues, and it probably won’t be the last. Though thus far they’ve been few, I’ve been quietly quitting certain local social media accounts and businesses where I no longer feel welcome. No matter how you feel about the current war in the Holy Land, the reality is that the most ancient of hatreds has found footing here and now.
But it’s Christmas, so let’s focus on the good stuff, like family, friendship and faith in humanity. Savannah remains a wonderful place to celebrate the season for everyone, even those of us who will spend it at the movies and a Chinese restaurant.
And though it is not our holiday, Santa came a few days early around here: After almost a year and half on the other end of the world, our firstborn has returned home safe and sound. Having us all together feels like the greatest gift of all.
May the miracles that connect us all be strengthened in the coming year. Sincerest wishes for lasting peace and boundless joy to you and yours.
Ho-ho-ho, honeys ~ JLL
P.S. There’s still time to give a gift subscription to Savannah Sideways stuff stockings with my books — if you’re local, I’ll deliver!
Season’s Greetings to you and yours! 🎉🎉
Merry Everything to you and yours!